75% of corruption cases resting in court

The report of the outgoing  Attorney General, Kenia Porcell, shows that of the 116 corruption cases sent to the courts, 75% still await a hearing,  has fired up reactions both inside and outside the Supreme Court

Consulted by La Prensa on the issue two magistrates of the Court, who preferred not to give their names, agreed that it would be wise to do a judicial audit to be certain in each case to avoid that “the generalization creates confusion. “

In her management report (2015-2019), released on  Friday, December 20, Porcell wrote that the fact that 75% of corruption cases are pending hearing “means that criminal justice does not fulfill its purposes when it faces economic, political, social or media power ”.

Porcell, who announced her resignation on November 12 from January 2, 2020, said that during the last five years the fight against corruption and organized crime was a direct confrontation against a criminal organization from power that managed to divert one billion dollars from public funds to private pockets. “These investigations must conclude in significant sentences and therefore we must, as a society, be vigilant and demand that the processes conclude with the punishment for those responsible and the reimbursement of public money,” she said.

Because of the seriousness of the statements, lawyer Ernesto Cedeño filed a petition before the Court on Monday, December 23 to rule on the issue.

Cedeño alleges that the full Court has the duty to rule and determine whether this situation of judicial lag is due to extra-procedural situations. In addition, he requested that corrective measures be taken to achieve greater fluency in the administration of justice.

The Court will choose a new board of directors for the period 2020-2022 on January 2. In this election, the three new magistrates appointed by Laurentino Cortizo may vote: María Eugenia López, Carlos Vásquez Reyes and Maribel Cornejo.